I am currently leading a project to implement ITIL based processes in my organization as well as HP OpenView Service Desk V5.1. I am currently struggling with the configuration of Standard Changes in this system. The templates seem to be the obvious place, but the drop down interface is clumsy when there are a lot of items included. UI rules based on a custom field does not seem to be a great solution either!

Has anyone had any experience on this or would like to offer suggestions?? Comment on how you document and list Standard Changes would be appreciated.

In Service Desk, I am thinking that a combination of a shorter list of more generic templates combined with UI rules based on the CI category may be the way to go.

It's been quite a while since I've worked with OVSD, but if I remember correctly, it is also possible to open templates from the file-menu, and there it is possible to place templates in folders. Using a folderstructure should give you enough support to use more templates.

Greetings. Here is an option that we have done with our service desk 4.5 implementation. We found that we were not going to be using what was originally the Project module. What we have done since in our service pack we do not have the ability to relate changes to changes, we have reworked the Project module to become the "change group" module. What we utilize this for is relating multiple rfc's to what may be a project effort or rollout and these in turn have 1 group change created. For standard changes we also create a group change for the standard change. We have setup specific UI rules so that only certain person have the ability to created this Standard Group Change. (We have a status that is Preapproved and a Category of Standard). From there when they need to invoke the standard change again they create a copy of the original change request and update the necessary pertinent information (dates etc) and relate it to the "Standard Group Change". We have UI rules in place that check that newly created standard rfc is related to a standard group change. From there post implementation we in change management will review to ensure that the standard change process was followed. The UI rules in place to not allow the standard change to be related to a non-standard group change or nothing at all.

Again this may seem confusing to those that may not have worked with service desk but this was the solution we came up with. I've heard though that in later service packs(22 i think) and service desk 5.0 you do have the ability to relate an rfc to an rfc with out needing to ustilize the workaround that we did.